The Institute for Government thinktank has released a report calling for civil servants to offer better advice to incoming prime ministers on running the centre of government.

Here, based on IfG research, we dissect some of the biggest changes implemented under the Blair, Brown and Cameron administrations.

Five that worked

Alistair Campbell Public Domain

1. Getting on top of news: In 1998, Tony Blair's press officer Alastair Campbell introduced the Grid, a fortnightly news diary and a key part of the No 10 strategic communications unit. This gave No 10 control of all government announcements, to avoid messages being released at the same time.

2. Expanding Whitehall talent pool:From 1998 onwards, No 10 began to set up special units, such as the Social Exclusion Unit, which brought handpicked staff into government with frontline delivery experience and more specialised knowledge.

3. Nudge:An example of a highly successful special unit was the Behavioural Insights Team, or nudge unit, set up by No 10 in 2010. Under director David Halpern, a team of people with knowledge of social psychology and behavioural economics are tasked with finding ways to improve society's behaviour. So successful, it's now been spun out as a freestanding enterprise.

HS2, artist's impression PA

4. Bringing big projects in on budget:Following years, if not decades, of big central government projects running over budget, the coalition government set up the Major Projects Authority in 2011, to improve the management of major projects across government. It looks after more than 200 projects, including HS2, the Work Programme and Universal Credit.

5. Yes, prime minister:The balance of control between No 10 and independent Whitehall departments swung back towards No 10 with the introduction of special units based in No 10 to ensure pet prime ministerial projects were on track. The first prime minister's delivery unit was set up by Sir Michael Barber in 2001. David Cameron changed its name to implementation unit.

Five that didn't

Tony Blair Mark Thomas / Rex Features/Mark Thomas / Rex Features

1. Politicising policy:From 2001-2005, Tony Blair's policy directorate combined No 10's policy unit with the prime minister's private office. The idea was to reduce overlap, but the merger created fears that civil servants were becoming politicised.

2. No, prime minister:Cabinet secretary Sir Richard Wilson introduced a centre for management and policy studies in 1999, but it failed to get enough attention from then prime minister Blair.

3. Moving special units away from Number 10:When Blair's social exclusion unit moved from No 10 to the office of the deputy prime minister in 2001, and then later to the Cabinet Office, it was seen as having lost all-important prime ministerial focus – a death knell for the specialised policy.

4. Central brainpower:In 2010, No 10 reduced its central policy unit to just five advisers, leaving it underpowered and leading to policies getting through that might otherwise have been challenged, such as the plan to privatise forests – which had to be hastily reversed – and NHS reform – which is still with us.

Stephen Carter Linda Nylind/freelancer

5. Bringing in the wrong kind of talent:Widening the Whitehall talent pool was a great idea in theory, but it hasn't always worked out. Gordon Brown's chief of staff in 2008, Stephen Carter, struggled to make an impact. He lacked both the political and personal connections of Jonathan Powell, Blair's chief of staff, and the Whitehall nous of a classic civil service principal private secretary.